Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the officials to conduct a high level enquiry into the incident of Trichy- Dubai Air India flight which encountered a problem during take off at Trichy airport. The plane made an emergency landing in Mumbai this morning.

Passengers of the Dubai-bound Air India Express flight had a miraculous escape when their aircraft’s wheels hit a perimeter wall during take off in the early hours today. The plane, with 136 passengers and crew members on-board, continued for Dubai and was eventually diverted to Mumbai after Trichy airport officials reported to the pilots that the aircraft might have come in contact with a wall. Nobody was hurt in the incident. Officials said, a ferry flight was sent from Kochi to fly the stranded passengers to Dubai.

Mr Prabhu tweeted, DGCA officers are at the site for preliminary inquiry and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau officers have also been deputed. He said, Air India has constituted a Sub-Committee of the Board headed by an Independent Director of the Board for looking at all safety related issues within the organisation including subsidiaries.

In order to have continuous attention towards air safety, Mr Prabhu also ordered concerned officials to put in place a regular safety compliance report of all airlines. The Minister said, safety of the passengers is of paramount importance for the government.